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Monday, June 8, 2009

An old cabin sits alongside Highway 93 between Pioche and Major's Place, at Dutch John Well. I first captured its portrait in 1978, when taking some well-earned time off from a Northern Exploration Company (NEC) helicopter camp we had down south of Caliente. The photo above, printed in a darkroom I used to have, is the same cabin as the one shown below. The angle of the two photos is slightly different: the mountains behind the cabin in the first photo are part of the Fortification Range; the mountains behind the cabin in the second photo are the higher, snowy peaks of the more distant Snake Range. The lighting is different: the first photo is lit from the west, in the early evening getting on towards dusk; the second is lit more from the southwest, in the late afternoon. The first photo was taken in June, 1978. The crested wheat grass is tall, the front wall of the cabin is relatively intact. The second photo was taken in early May, 2009. The grass hasn't yet come to full height, and the front wall and roof of the cabin are more decrepit. Here's a closer view of the current state of the cabin at Dutch John Well. The roof has fallen in completely on the northeast side, the top plate (or upper log, whatever that's called) is less secure, the front wall is leaning forward, the second window is gone, the open door looks just a little creaky.